Kings' Domination by the Numbers

May 31, 2012

AP Photo

It was not the start the New Jersey Devils wanted.

On home ice to start the Stanley Cup finals, the Devils were tentative in the first period and overwhelmed in the second, with the Los Angeles Kings dominating on the shot clock but unable to put more than one puck past netminder Martin Brodeur in regulation.

Ultimately the better team in the game won in overtime, with Anze Kopitar benefitting from a rare breakaway.

Looking closely at the data from Game 1, there's was a clear trend in the second period where New Jersey rarely had the puck and had difficulty generating even an attempted shot on goal, let alone an quality shot.